Bloody Mary Tomato Soup – This zingy twist on tomato soup is one of our favorites! With vibrant color and a delicious flavor kick, it’ll be yours, too! (PS – Don’t worry! It’s virgin and family friendly!)

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup - This spicy tomato vegetable soup is one terrific dinner! An awesome gluten free, vegan, and paleo choice!

On Facebook a while back, I shared that during Milo’s pregnancy, one of the things I just CRAVED was blackberries. I’d never really been into them before, but I ate GIANT cartons of them every week when I was pregnant with Milo. Now, they’re one of his favorite foods!

One of the other things I craved was even more strange–Bloody Mary mix. What’s funny is I’ve never had a drink in my life, but thanks to a few flights during his pregnancy, I somehow got the major MAJOR craving for the little tins of Bloody Mary mix/spicy tomato juice they served on the airplane. (Never mind that I’d NEVER had vegetable juice like that before.)

I’ve been a fan of that zingy kick ever since.

With tomato season in full swing as we approach the start of fall and soup season, I thought now would be the perfect time to show you one of my FAVORITE twists on tomato soup that uses all the same tasty flavors as that Bloody Mary mix.

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup - This spicy tomato vegetable soup is such a fun twist on the classic! Gluten free, vegan, and paleo friendly!

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup! It’s got all my favorites elements of really good tomato soup–quality tomatoes, velvety smooth texture, and a sensation of creaminess (without any cream!). Then, I add a twist by including some Old Bay seasoning (I love this stuff–try it on roasted veggies!), a splash of Worcestershire sauce and an extra dose of veggie goodness.

The end result is fabulous with croutons, grilled sandwiches, or even some roasted pepitas or crumbled, cooked bacon. See below for all my favorite ways of changing it up and tips for fitting your dietary needs!

NOTES ON THE RECIPE:

ROASTED VS. CANNED TOMATOES – If you’re in a hurry, I love using canned tomatoes for this soup. My favorites are the fire-roasted ones, since they add a little extra oomph to the mix. Otherwise, I really love using slow-roasted tomatoes in this recipe. It’s a trick I learned from Ina Garten that I use in my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, and it’s REALLY good here as well. Simply halve 3.5 lbs. Roma tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then roast at 325 degrees for about an hour. They get so caramelized, and the flavors are so concentrated and delicious. Love it!

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT BLENDING – If you’re blending in a blender, PLEASE work in batches. I don’t fill the blender much more than 1/2 full if I’m blending something warm, and I cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel. Also, be sure that your soup has cooled down somewhat so that you don’t risk getting burned while blending.

Otherwise, a really handy way to blend soups and stews is to use a stick/immersion blender, like this one. They’re pretty inexpensive and I LOVE using them for things like making ranch dressing, or getting sauces and soups velvety smooth.

VEGAN? USE THIS! Most Worcestershire sauce contains a small amount of anchovies, which obviously means it’s not vegan. You can find vegan Worcestershire sauce out there. Annie’s makes one that’s vegan but *not* gluten free that’s available at Sprouts, Kroger, Target, Amazon or Thrive, or you can even make your own (sub GF tamari for the soy sauce)!

PSSST! PALEO? TRY THIS ONE – Many Worcestershire sauces contain gluten or non-paleo ingredients. If that’s you, try using this recipe for a Whole30 & Paleo compliant version!

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